Sex-Specific Obesity and Cardiometabolic Disease Risks in Low- and Middle-Income Countries

Thaís Rocha, Eka Melson, Javier Zamora, Borja Manuel Fernandez-Felix, Wiebke Arlt, Shakila Thangaratinam
The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, Volume 109, Issue 4, April 2024, Pages 1145–1153
https://doi.org/10.1210/clinem/dgad599

Abstract

Context

There is limited knowledge about the disparities between the sexes in obesity prevalence and associated cardiovascular complications in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).

Objective

We undertook a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess sex-specific disparities in the prevalence of obesity and cardiometabolic diseases in LMICs, the burden in women, and variations by region, country’s income status, setting, and time.

Methods

We searched major databases from inception to March 2023. Two independent reviewers selected the studies, assessed their quality, and extracted data. We used DerSimonian and Laird random-effects models to obtain pooled estimates of odds ratios and 95% CI for the association between sex and obesity and cardiometabolic diseases, and multilevel random-effects logistic regression models to estimate the prevalence of relevant outcomes (PROSPERO CRD42019132609).

Results

We included 345 studies (3 916 276 individuals). The odds of obesity were 2.72-fold higher in women than men (OR 2.72; 95% CI, 2.54–2.91). The sex-specific disparities varied by region, with the greatest disparities in Sub-Saharan Africa (OR 3.91; 95% CI, 3.49–4.39). Among women in LMICs, 23% (95% CI, 21%–25%) had obesity, 27% (95% CI, 24%–29%) had hypertension, and 7% (95% CI, 6%–9%) had type 2 diabetes. The prevalence of obesity and type 2 diabetes in women varied by region, country’s income, and setting, with the highest prevalence in the Middle East and North Africa, upper-middle-income countries and urban settings. The odds of hypertension (OR 2.41; 95% CI, 1.89–3.08) and type 2 diabetes (OR 2.65; 95% CI, 1.76–3.98) were doubled in women with vs without obesity.

Conclusion

There is an urgent need for a women-centred and region-stratified approach to tackle obesity awareness, treatment, and prevention in women in LMICs.

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